Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Being Free Vociferously, Symbolically to Criticize Government Is What American Stands For


Antonin Scalia
"Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag -- if they do, there must be consequences -- perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!" tweeted President-elect Donald Trump.

He should not be criticized because he is not alone. President George H.W. Bush and Senator Hillary Clinton have supported criminalization for desecration of the American flag.

However, it’s not against the law to burn the American flag. Correctly, the Supreme Court ruled burning the flag is a symbolic form of free speech and constitutionally protected.

Deceased Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who Trump praised as a "brilliant Supreme Court Justice, one of the best of all time,” once said, "If I were king, I would not allow people to go around burning the American flag -- however, we have a First Amendment which says that the right of free speech shall not be abridged -- and it is addressed in particular to speech critical of the government."

Senate majority leader Mitch O’Connell said, “Flag stands for freedom, even to desecrate.”

Desecrations of the American Flag, refusing to stand when the national anthem is played, refusing to salute the flag, refusing to recite the pledge of allegiance, or any other kind of symbolic form of free speech must be protected. To do otherwise is reminiscent of a nationalism that is associated with fascist governments. A President of the United States is not a King. Being free vociferously and symbolically to criticize government is what the American flag stands for. We must preserve and defend the values that the United States of America represents.


Copyright © Horatio Green 2016


Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Republican Hypocrisy Really Gets Under My Skin


Even though republicans vowed to be obstructionist to President Obama, Trump’s supporters and our political leaders are telling us we must unite. Senate Republicans said, if Senator Clinton were elected, they would never confirm any Supreme Court Justice she nominates. Their goal was to make sure there would still be an opening on the Supreme Court four years from now. Now Republicans have the gall to say we should get over Trump’s campaign rhetoric and unite behind him.

So how can I root for Donald Trump’s success. How can I unite with Trump and the Republican Party when they are the antithesis of everything I believe in . . . Trump violates every value, and the Republicans most of them. Giving Trump a chance to lead with support from a Republican Congress means giving him a chance to implement all the things I detest. When I loathe everything Donald Trump stands for, how can I root for the success of such a despicable and distasteful man?

None of us should ever stop fighting for what is right. By uniting with Trump and the Republicans, we are surrendering to what is not right. What is not moral.


Monday, November 21, 2016

Americans Who Oppose Donald Trump Should Never Surrender Their Morality For The Sake Of Unity

Barack Obama is "rooting for [Trump’s] success in leading and unifying the country."

Hillary Clinton hopes Trump “will be a successful president for all Americans. We owe him an open mind and a chance to lead.”

Even though republicans vowed to be obstructionist to President Obama, Trump’s supporters and our political leaders are telling us we must unite. Senate Republicans said, if Senator Clinton were elected, they would never confirm any Supreme Court Justice she nominates. Their goal was to make sure there would still be an opening on the Supreme Court four years from now. Now Republicans have the gall to say we should get over Trump’s campaign rhetoric and unite behind him.

Mr. Blow’s of the New York Times and I agree: Mr. Trump “. . . is one of the worst possible people who could be elected president. I remain convinced that Trump has a fundamentally flawed character and is literally dangerous for world stability and injurious to America’s standing in that world. . . . let me be clear: Businessman Donald Trump was a bigot. Candidate Donald Trump was a bigot. Republican nominee Donald Trump was a bigot. And I can only assume that President Donald Trump will be a bigot.”

“America died on Nov. 8, 2016, not with a bang or a whimper, but at its own hand via electoral suicide. We the people chose a man who has shredded our values, our morals, our compassion, our tolerance, our decency, our sense of common purpose, our very identity — all the things that, however tenuously, made a nation out of a country.” — Neal Garber, “Farewell, America

So how can I root for Donald Trump’s success. How can I unite with Trump and the Republican Party when they are the antithesis of everything I believe in . . . Trump violates every value, and the Republicans most of them. Giving Trump a chance to lead with support from a Republican Congress means giving him a chance to implement all the things I detest. When I loathe everything Donald Trump stands for, how can I root for the success of such a despicable and distasteful man?

None of us should ever stop fighting for what is right. By uniting with Trump and the Republicans, we are surrendering to what is not right. What is not moral.

I have respect for the office of President of the United States, but the people who support and voted for Trump do not.



Copyright © Horatio Green 2016